On Yahouthengbi Monsoon & the politics of Cheng Superfine

This year’s ‘Yahouthengbi Award’ conferred by Mahousha Lairembi Foundation is reportedly bagged by Miss Monsoon. She was on a long slumber and forgot to wake up to pay her annual visit in Manipur. Apprehensive farmers have been eagerly waiting for her arrival for quite a long time. Amidst the wait, a lot of political melodramas took place among the ministers and MLAs of the incumbent government. Some flocked to Delhi lobbying for a change of leadership errr Chief Minister. Some stayed back rendering their full support to the incumbent leader of the BJP led Government in Manipur. In the meantime, Chirolheibi media never stops its rumors on the probabilities and possibilities of ‘sarkaarkaiba’. On being enquired one of the machintongbaspokespersons remarked, ‘We have requested for a big nungdhang from the Centre and also a political excavator just in case the nungdhang fails to work. Since there are some political activists and heavyweights from Manipur who are reluctant for a change of leadership, we thought we would need assistance from the Centre to make this ‘Mission SarkaarKaiba’ a grand success.’
The credibility of Chirolheibi media’s news report was still on yengkhisi- ngaikhisi phase when another issue was brought to the limelight- The Curious Scam of Cheng Superfine! Though the issue originally started from a single constituency, many constituencies are presumably now in the ‘mitkhangsingsingba’ phase. For some more mitsingningaioibainformation, let’s get to know a few details of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. NFSA aims to provide subsidized grains to approximately two thirds of India’s population. As per the legislation, all people, at all times, should get access to the basic food for the active and healthy life and is characterized by availability, access, utilization and stability of food. The Constitution of India contains no explicit provision on Right to Food but the fundamental right enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution may be interpreted to include Right to live with human dignity, which may include the Right to Food and other basic necessities. The Act legally entitles up to 75% of the rural population and 50% the urban populations to receive subsidized food grains under Targeted Public Distribution System. NFSA defines the joint responsibility of the Centre and States/UTs. Allocation, transportation to designated depots in each State/UT, assistance to States/UTs in delivery of food grains from designated FCI godowns to the doorsteps of the Fair Price Shops etc. are some responsibilities of the Centre related to NFSA. The States/UTs are responsible for effective implementation of the Act, which inter-alia includes identification of eligible households, issuing ration cards to them, distribution of food grain entitlements to eligible households through Fair Price Shops, issuance of licenses to Fair Price Dealers and their monitoring, setting up effective grievance redressal mechanism and necessary strengthening of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
Coming to the context of Manipur on the recent cheng superfine scam in Khurai Kendra, it is quite a huraanbanakoktanaapipakaemaaragadiyenglunuchopchani type scam. But what’s more interesting is it’s not a scuffle between two politicians of different parties. It’s more of a Thambaljaogiemungichafukairaga anti-incumbent kwaakmayamnaharaobagi incident. Yengbataababukanladi, there are a lot of hilarious ironies in the never ending war-of-words (between S and S’s parties) on the ongoing cheng superfine scam. According to some socio-political think-tanks, the ongoing scuffle may either be a bombnahouragapoplaobinaloisinbascam or a meirikpidagimeijaobihourakpa one. As the saying goes, one man’s misfortune is another man’s fortune/joy;the recent cheng superfine scam has definitely opened the eyes of many beneficiaries from different constituencies. Beneficiaries who (earlier) were clueless about the irregular supply of food grains may perhaps get a clue that their share of lupaahumpibacheng superfine did not reach them on purpose and the chenglaakeelaakte excuses of Fair Price Shop owners were all bullshits. ‘JaagoGrahakJaago..know your rights’, remarked a disinterested ojaLuwang, when he was asked for an opinion on this issue.